Fire-Switzerland最新文献

{"title":"Fire Risk of Polyethylene (PE)-Based Foam Blocks Used as Interior Building Materials and Fire Suppression through a Simple Surface Coating: Analysis of Vulnerability, Propagation, and Flame Retardancy","authors":"Yongtae Jeon, Jungwoo Park, Jongyoung Park, Chan-Yong Kang","doi":"10.3390/fire6090350","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6090350","url":null,"abstract":"Building fires can spread through surface combustion of both combustible and interior finishing materials. Recently, the use of foam blocks as interior materials for high-rise residential buildings has increased. However, as foam blocks are primarily composed of polyethylene, they are not flame-retardant and can readily burn and the fire can spread, leading to large-scale damage. Herein, the fire hazard and diffusion characteristics of foam blocks were compared with those of flame-retardant and general wallpapers to confirm the risk of fire. The fire risk of the foam blocks was confirmed using flammability, cone calorimetry, and spread-of-flame analyses. Based on a comparative analysis of the fire risk of foam blocks, the average total heat release was 11.2 MJ/m. This is approximately three times higher than the average heat release rate of the flame-retardant wallpaper and approximately two times higher than that of the general wallpaper. The foam blocks ignited rapidly owing to fire and generated large amounts of combustion gas and heat. To prevent such a fire, 5 wt% montmorillonite (MMT) was simply coated after surface modification to suppress the occurrence of fire. Various flame-retardant materials, surface modifications, and fire safety systems must be developed to prevent fire hazards.","PeriodicalId":36395,"journal":{"name":"Fire-Switzerland","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47099966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of Air Quality inside Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Used by Firefighters","authors":"S. Kim, Seunghon Ham","doi":"10.3390/fire6090347","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6090347","url":null,"abstract":"(1) Background: When a fire breaks out, combustibles are burned and toxic substances such as carbon monoxide (CO), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), benzene, and hydrogen cyanide are produced. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the air quality inside self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) by comparing it to that in the environment where the SCBA charger is installed. (2) Methods: The design of this study was a simulation-based case-control experiment study, and the experiment was conducted at two fire stations located on land and on water. When charging the SCBA, it was differentiated according to the presence or absence of exposure to harmful substances and the degree of exposure. The air quality inside the SCBA in the charging room installed in the fire station garages located on land and in the water, which were not completely isolated from harmful substances, was evaluated. CO, carbon dioxide (CO2), water, and oil mist were measured and analyzed to determine the air quality inside the SCBA. (3) Results: In the case of land firefighting stations, the mean CO among the SCBA internal air quality items was 20 times higher than the outside the SCBA, and higher than the safe range in the group with the highest exposure at the sites of firefighting buildings completely isolated from hazardous substances. The CO levels of all items of water were analyzed to be higher than the safe range in the floating fire station. (4) Conclusions: It was confirmed that the installation environment of an SCBA charging room can affect the safety of the charged internal air quality components. The results of this study can be actively used for the operation and management of SCBA charging room environments when building firefighting buildings in the future for the hygiene, safety, and health of firefighters.","PeriodicalId":36395,"journal":{"name":"Fire-Switzerland","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49333972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Experimental Study on Combustion Behavior of U-Shaped Cables with Different Bending Forms and Angles","authors":"Changkun Chen, Wuhao Du, Tong Xu","doi":"10.3390/fire6090348","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6090348","url":null,"abstract":"Cables are usually bent into a U-shape to cross obstacles during installation: this includes the upward-bending mode (UBM) and the downward-bending mode (DBM). An experimental study was conducted to investigate the combustion behavior of U-shaped cables with the above bending forms and different angles. The ignition point was set in the middle of the U-shaped cables and the temperature distribution, flame spread rate (FSR), mass loss rate (MLR), flame dimensional characteristics, etc. were measured and analyzed. The results showed that FSR and MLR are positively related to the bending angles, and the FSR is the highest in UBM 90°, close to 6.51 cm/min, which is four times higher than that in the bending angle 0° condition. In the UBM, the heat radiation and convection from the cable flame to the unburned region were more intense and the “eruptive fire phenomenon” occurred during the combustion process, leading to a sharp increase in the FSR in a short time. However, the thermal convection and radiation from the burning region to the unburned region were weakened in the DBM. Meanwhile, the molten outer sheath (PE) would flow along the cables, heating and igniting the unburned region in the DBM. In addition, the FSR, MLR, and peak temperature increased in the UBM compared to the DBM. The highest flame temperature occurred in UBD 90°, approximately 1023 °C.","PeriodicalId":36395,"journal":{"name":"Fire-Switzerland","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45826464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Summer Compound Drought-Heat Extremes Amplify Fire-Weather Risk and Burned Area beyond Historical Thresholds in Chongqing Region, Subtropical China","authors":"Lucas Gutiérrez Rodríguez, Yingpeng He, Mengqi Sun, Yinan Yao, Víctor Resco de Dios","doi":"10.3390/fire6090346","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6090346","url":null,"abstract":"Global warming is associated with an increase in compound drought-heat events (CDHEs), leading to larger and more extreme fire-weather risk in mesic forests. Wildfire activity in subtropical China, under the influence of monsoonal rainfall, was historically limited to dry winters and rare in rainy summers. Here, we seek to test whether this area is on the brink of a major change in its fire regime characterized by larger fire seasons, extending into the summer, leading to increases in fire activity (burned area). We analyze fire activity in Chongqing Municipality (46,890 km2), an important area of subtropical China hosting the Three Gorges Reservoir Area. We observed significant increases in summer forest fires under anomalous dry-hot summer conditions, where the total burned area was 3–6 times the historical annual mean (previously confined to the winter season). Vapor pressure deficit (VPD), an indicator of hot and dry weather conditions (i.e., fire-weather risk), was a strong predictor of fire activity, with larger wildfires occurring on days where VPD was higher than 3.5 kPa. Results indicate that a major wildfire activity expansion may occur in the area due to climate change and the widening time window of fire-weather risk, unless strong fire prevention and local adaptation policies are implemented.","PeriodicalId":36395,"journal":{"name":"Fire-Switzerland","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47685177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An Experimental Study for Deriving Fire Risk Evaluation Factors for Cables in Utility Tunnels","authors":"Hyun Jeong Seo, Yon Ha Chung, Tae Jung Song","doi":"10.3390/fire6090342","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6090342","url":null,"abstract":"In this study, we performed three tests to measure the fire-retardant performance of power cables installed in utility tunnels. The standards we applied for testing are ISO 5660-1, NES 713, and IEEE 1202. Specifically, we performed a cone calorimetric analysis, calculated the toxicity index, and measured the flame spread length on material surfaces. Even though the same fire-retardant chemical composites were applied, various differences in fire-retardant performance were found depending on the chemical properties of the cable sheath and insulation. We also found that gaseous substances generated during the burning of cables can serve as important risk assessment factors in fires. We determined that, in addition to the heat generated when the cable burns, the toxic gases emitted at this time can also be a risk factor. This is because it is important to consider any potential risk to a person entering as part of an initial response to an event or accident involving cables installed in utility tunnels. Moreover, in the event of a fire in the cable, there is a risk of hazardous substances flowing into the city center as toxic gases are released. Therefore, we determined that the risk of hazardous gases emitted during cable fire should be reflected in the fire-retardant performance standard.","PeriodicalId":36395,"journal":{"name":"Fire-Switzerland","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49296418","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fertile Island Soils Promote the Restoration of Shrub Patches in Burned Areas in Arid Saline Land","authors":"Shilin Wang, Xiaojun Wang, Wen-xia Cao","doi":"10.3390/fire6090341","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6090341","url":null,"abstract":"Shrub encroachment and expansion have been widely reported globally and are particularly severe in arid saline land. Shrubs in harsh habitats have fertile island effects, but the promoting effect of fertile island soil on shrub patch restoration remains unclear. To clarify the role of fertile island soils in shrub patch recovery, we took single Tamarix ramosissima shrubs with different volume sizes (3.62–80.21 m3) as experimental subjects. The fertile island effect was quantified, and the 5-year natural recovery of shrub patches in the burned area was measured. The results strongly support that shrubs formed a fertile island soil in unburned areas; soil nutrient content beneath the canopy was 1.34–3.09 times higher than those outside the shrubs, while the soil salinity was 0.03–0.48 times lower than that of intercanopy spaces. The diversity of herbaceous plants beneath shrubs was significantly lower than that of outside shrubs, while the herbage biomass first increased and then decreased with the increase in the volume of shrubs. The maximum biomass of herbage was found when the shrub volume was 30.22 m3, but oversized shrubs could inhibit the growth of herbage. In terms of burned area, the recovery of burned area mainly depends on resprouts and seedlings. The mean values of seedling density, height, coverage, and biomass beneath the canopies were 0.47, 2.53, 2.11, and 5.74 times higher, respectively, than those of the intercanopy spaces. The results of the structural equation models showed the weight coefficient of the fertile island soils for the vegetation recovery in burned shrubland was 0.45; low salinity contributed more to vegetation recovery than high nutrient and moisture contents. Thus, compared with intercanopy spaces, shrub patches reinforce fertile island effects through direct and indirect effects and enhance the recovery of shrubland vegetation in the burned area. Our results demonstrate the positive implications of shrub expansion in the context of global climate change and also deepen the understanding of the sustainable development of burned shrubland.","PeriodicalId":36395,"journal":{"name":"Fire-Switzerland","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44742798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Wildland–Urban Interface: Definition and Physical Fire Risk Mitigation Measures, a Systematic Review","authors":"Flavio Taccaliti, R. Marzano, Tina L. Bell, E. Lingua","doi":"10.3390/fire6090343","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6090343","url":null,"abstract":"Due to the associated fire risk, the wildland–urban interface (WUI) has drawn the attention of researchers and managers from a range of backgrounds. From a land management point of view, it is important to identify the WUI to determine areas to prioritise for fire risk prevention. It is also important to know the fire risk mitigation measures available to select the most appropriate for each specific context. In this systematic review, definitions of the WUI were investigated and physical mitigation measures for reducing the risk of fire were examined from a land management perspective. The PRISMA 2020 Statement was applied to records published until 31 December 2022 and retrieved from the Web of Science, Scopus, and other research engines. A total of 162 publications from scientific journals and the grey literature were scrutinised and selected for analysis. Only publications providing an original definition of the WUI or proposing physical measures to reduce fire risk at the interface were retained, while those relating to emergency management and social perception were not considered. The risk of bias was reduced by internal cross-assessment by the research team. Definitions of the WUI (n = 40 publications) changed according to the research objective, varying broadly in identification of the anthropogenic and the wildland components of the interface. Terminology varied according to the definition, and the term wildland–human interface (WHI) was found to be more comprehensive than WUI. Methodological definitions of the interface ranged from using aggregated data through to identification of the buildings at risk in the interface with considerable precision. Five categories of physical fire risk mitigation measures (n = 128 publications) were identified: clearance distances, landscaping, wildland fuel management, land planning, and buildings design and materials. The most effective measures were those applied at early stages of urban development, and maintenance of assets and vegetation is crucial for preparedness. This review represents an analysis of scientific evidence on which land managers can base their actions to reduce the fire hazard risk in the WUI. The number of studies investigating the WUI is considerable, but experimental studies and quantitative results are scarce, and better communication and coordination among research groups and land management agencies is advisable. This systematic review was not registered.","PeriodicalId":36395,"journal":{"name":"Fire-Switzerland","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44473924","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification Methodology for Chemical Warehouses Dealing with Flammable Substances Capable of Causing Firewater Pollution","authors":"Maxim Kátai-Urbán, Tibor Bíró, L. Kátai-Urbán, F. Varga, Zsolt Cimer","doi":"10.3390/fire6090345","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6090345","url":null,"abstract":"Major accidents involving flammable substances can lead to significant environmental damage. The operators of chemical warehouses—in order to prevent and mitigate harmful environmental impacts—based on fire prevention strategies should apply “firewater pollution prevention” (FPP) measures. The identification of affected warehouses already in operation is an important law enforcement task. Therefore, the authors—based on the assessment of firewater run-off scenarios—propose a simple and easy-to-use dangerous establishment identification procedure and methodology based on event tree analysis and indexing preliminary risk analysis approaches. Two independent expert groups validated—in the case of 10 facilities—the index components of the approach. The testing of the applicability of the approach took place in parallel with the analyses of the Hungarian operator’s practice. The research results—covering the inspection of 24 facilities—can assist the operators in the effective and unified implementation of FPP measures. In the case of 14 facilities, it was necessary to introduce FPP measures, which highlight the need to improve the law enforcement compliance of identified operators. The investigation results can also contribute to increases in the fire and environmental safety performance of chemical warehouses, which ensures a higher level of environmental protection and people’s health near chemical warehouses.","PeriodicalId":36395,"journal":{"name":"Fire-Switzerland","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43502906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Effectiveness of Pressure Safety Valves in Chemical Supply Systems to Prevent Fire, Explosion and Overpressure in the Korean Semiconductor Industry","authors":"Kyeong-Seok Oh, Euittum Jeong, Woo Sub Shim, Jong-Bae Baek","doi":"10.3390/fire6090344","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6090344","url":null,"abstract":"This study was conducted to review the safety and appropriateness of PSV (Pressure Safety Valve) installation in the supply tank, which is a pressure vessel included in supply systems dedicated to supplying the acid/alkaline substances used in the Korean semiconductor manufacturing process. Three aspects of design, risk assessment, and regulations were reviewed to determine if there is a source of pressure higher than the maximum allowable working pressure (MAWP) of the supply tank that could cause fires, explosions, and overpressure. In the case of the design review, all 17 overpressure scenarios described in API Standard 521, i.e., pressure-relieving and depressuring systems, were reviewed, and there was no overpressure scenario above the maximum allowable working pressure (MAWP). Then, the risk assessment, i.e., the Hazard and Operability Study (HAZOP) technique, was used, and as a result of reviewing all possible risk situations, we can state that there were no overpressure scenarios that can exceed the design pressure of the supply tank; thus, we decided that the installation of a PSV on top of the supply tank is unnecessary. Finally, accident prevention measures against overpressure, such as the KS B 6750-3 system design and the Korean Industrial Standard, were reviewed from a legal point of view. It was confirmed that the hazardous chemical supply system for the semiconductor industry designed in this study has several protective functions to prevent fires, explosions, and overpressure. As a result of reviewing the above three aspects, it can be said that there is no need to install a pressure safety valve in a pressure vessel storing hazardous chemicals.","PeriodicalId":36395,"journal":{"name":"Fire-Switzerland","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47225297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Engineering Attributes of Ternary Geopolymer Mortars Containing High Volumes of Palm Oil Fuel Ash: Impact of Elevated Temperature Exposure","authors":"Ghasan Fahim Huseien, Z. Kubba, S. K. Ghoshal","doi":"10.3390/fire6090340","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6090340","url":null,"abstract":"Geopolymer mortars made from various waste products can appreciably reduce carbon dioxide emissions and landfill-related issues, making them viable substitutes for ordinary Portland cement, a workhorse in the concrete industry. Thus, a series of ternary geopolymer mortars were made and characterized to determine the effects of exposure to elevated temperatures (from room temperature up to 900 °C) on their engineered (residual compressive strength, weight loss, and slant shear bond strength) and microstructural properties. These mortars, which contain fly ash, ground blast furnace slag, and a high volume of palm oil fuel ash, were designed to activate via the incorporation of an alkali activator solution at a low concentration (molarity of 4). The elevated temperature-mediated deterioration of the ternary geopolymer mortar was quantified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results revealed an improvement in the ternary geopolymer mortars’ resistance against elevated temperatures when the palm oil fuel ash level in the mortar matrix was raised from 50 to 70% and when slag was replaced by fly ash. It was asserted that the proposed ternary geopolymer mortars may contribute to the advancement of green concretes demanded by the construction sectors.","PeriodicalId":36395,"journal":{"name":"Fire-Switzerland","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48990810","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}